The Essential Vietnamese Sauce: Nuoc Mau

It looks rather like sorghum molasses, or espresso with a swirled froth of reddish gold crema on top. But it is neither of these things. It is dark, it is deep, it consists of two ingredients, and while it is simple to make it is not easy. And, it is an essential component to many […]

Kale With Panch Phoran

I don’t know if they grow kale in Bengal, but I bet that some sort of dark leafy green is cooked and eaten there. Folks all over the world seem to like greens, so I feel confident that while I improvised this recipe in my own kitchen, using what was on hand, that somewhere in […]

From India’s Vegetarian Cooking: Smoky Lentils With Tomato

When I reviewed Monisha Bharadwaj’s excellent book India’s Vegetarian Cooking: A Regional Guide, I wanted to be certain to try a recipe from each of the broad geographic areas covered in the book. So, I presented recipes from the north, the east and the west, and now, it comes time to present one from the […]

Vegan Dry-Fried String Beans With Fresh Shiitake Mushrooms

Back when I was a personal chef, a couple of my clients were vegans. This presented a challenge to me which I welcomed; it allowed me to work at learning how to make vegan versions of common recipes such as lasagne with bechamel sauce, cream of mushroom soup and spaghetti with “meat” balls. However, my […]

From India’s Vegetarian Cooking:Broccoli With Five Spices

I know that I just wrote about a stir-fried recipe from the eastern region of India that featured whole spices. Well, that recipe came from the eastern region of India, and this one, while it uses the same basic technique–stir frying, and similar ingredients–whole spices, is from the west, in Bengal, and it results in […]

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